Old Places, New Faces
by Dark Ravenette
Summary: I still believe in a fourth season, but here's my response to "Last Knight." PLEASE read the disclaimer.
1. Awakening

Disclaimers: Nick, LaCroix and the normal FK cast do not belong to me. They all belong to the Tri-Star Company and to James Parriott. Any resemblance of my original characters to real or other fictional people is completely coincidental. All magick incantations are figments of my imagination and should not be considered real. Warning:My FK fanfic tends to have a Dark Knighties twist. It was not meant for a FORKN-L war through. Also to be noted: I wrote this story without any previous knowledge to the White Wolf company and their games. When deciding on clan names, someone mentioned Tremere, and I thought it sounded cool. However, now that I know of the V:tM games, I noticed my story doesn't really flow with the Tremere history, so I apologize to any fans who feel that Jasper is a little off. 

Prologue:  
  
Undetected by the waking mortals, the scent of the coming sunrise settled in the air. It was time for all the damned boys and girls to find some shelter from the day and sleep, dreaming of their next kill. There would be no dreaming for Nicholas Knight though. After 800 years, he decided that today was the day to end it all.  
  
For this vampire had had enough of his existence. All that followed him was death. During his short time in Toronto, he had lost his first partner and best friend, Don Schanke, and his boss, Amanda Cohen, to a bomb planted on their plane; his second partner, Tracy Vetter, to a gunman's wild shot; and now his love and confidant, Natalie Lambert, by his own fangs. How many more friends had he lost over the eight centuries he had inhabited the earth?  
  
As he now looked down upon the body of his true love, Nick's eternal guilt shot through him with the pain of a burning ray of sunlight. Only the presence of his sire, Lucien LaCroix, stopped him from lashing out and destroying everything within reach. Nick knew he had to control himself in front of his master vampire.  
  
Though they had fought in the past, Nick and LaCroix were now as a father and son should be. When LaCroix entered the loft earlier, so to find his Nicholas bent over the then-cold body of Dr. Lambert, his still heart went out to him. When his offer for a burial was refused, LaCroix watched as Nick proceeded to obtain a long wooden stake that he kept hidden. The old vampire knew what this meant.  
  
Nicholas handed the sharp instrument to LaCroix and knelt back down next to the side of the still-beautiful Natalie. LaCroix held the stake and contemplated whether or not to comply to his "child's" wish.  


************** 

  
  
Outside, two figures stood in the darkness. Their faces hidden in the shadows, they looked warily as the sky lightened with the coming sun. As the older gazed up at the loft in front of them, the younger stared with impatience at the other. Finally, the older stepped forward, entered the security code, and opened the door for both of them.  


************** 

  
  
LaCroix had come to his decision. As Nick sat on his knees beside Nat, LaCroix stepped up beside him, stake still in hand. With both hands, he raised the weapon above his head and summed up his feelings with one phrase:  
  
"Damn you Nicholas!"  
  
  
Chapter 1  
  
As LaCroix started to bring down the stake, a rare tear, one not even shed for his true daughter, Divia, welled up in his eye. This unusual occurrence blocked his senses so that he did not notice the door open until a familiar voice cried out:  
  
"LaCroix, stop!"  
  
Nick and LaCroix whipped around to face the door next to the service elevator. There stood two feminine figures, ready to enter the loft. The one who had spoken stepped forward, and Nick and LaCroix gasped as they recognized:  
  
Janette.  
  
"What the hell do you think you are doing?" she asked with her strong French accent. Then she noticed Natalie lying on the floor. Her eyes filled with sympathy for Nick.  
  
"Nicola, I'm sorry."  
  
Nick nodded solemnly then turned back to Natalie. LaCroix also turned away from Janette.  
  
"I wish there was something I could do to help," Janette said in a low voice.  
  
"Maybe I can help," piped in a young voice from behind Janette.  
  
Out from the shadows stepped a young girl that looked about 18 years of age. But Nick got the idea that her appearance might be false, for the girl gave off the pulse that only immortals could detect. This girl was definitely a vampire, but she did not act like someone who knew she had great power. The young one was timid and almost cowardly, hiding in the darkness. With her head bowed downward, she walked toward Janette, as if hoping to hide behind her.  
  
"This is an acquaintance of mine," Janette explained. "Her name is Jasper DeWhite." She then turned away from the two gentlemen and faced Jasper. "Do you think you could help with this?" she asked, a sliver of hope in her voice.  
  
"I might," Jasper replied. "It's according to how long she's been gone." She slightly raised her head in the direction of Natalie's body.  
  
Nick rose from his knees and faced the girl. His eyebrows rose in disbelief of what he was hearing. This young one thought she could accomplish what Nick knew was impossible: to raise the dead.  
  
Even LaCroix doubted Janette's faith in the child. "How could she possibly help with this? Judging by her weak aura, I'd say she is no more than 5 years turned."  
  
"3 years actually," Jasper interrupted, but she quickly stopped and looked at the floor again. "Sorry sir. I didn't mean to interrupt you."  
  
LaCroix nodded to her, then continued: "My point is that this child does not even have the strength of an Elder, so what could she possibly do?"  
  
As if to answer his question, Jasper slowly walked over to Natalie, knelt down beside her, and held her hands over Nat's chest. Nick and LaCroix turned to Janette, who just smiled and watched Jasper. When the men turned back around, they gasped at seeing a faint red glow surrounding Jasper's hands and Natalie's body. Jasper's face was twisted in pain, and, when she tumbled backwards, the glow disappeared. Janette fell to Jasper's side to help her up, and Nick and LaCroix moved to assist her. They stopped short when they heard a sharp intake of breath from the floor. Nick fainted when Natalie Lambert opened her eyes, sat up, and screamed. 


	2. Associations

When the screaming stopped, the three conscious vampires attempted to waken the unconscious Nick. As soon as he opened his eyes, they all gave him room to get up. Then, they turned to Nat. She was still sitting on the floor, gasping for breath. LaCroix and Nick stared in disbelief, and Janette backed away.  
  
Jasper moved back to Natalie's side, and, with a timid smile, said, "Welcome back to the world of the living."  
  
Natalie looked at the young brunette beside her, then at Nick. "What...what happened?"  
  
Jasper smiled again and turned to Nick. "Would you like to tell her?" she asked the gawking vampire.  
  
Nick looked at LaCroix, who just shrugged and looked back at Natalie. Nick slowly walked over to Natalie. "I took too much," he explained.  
  
A little more than an hour ago, Nick and Natalie had been trying one last cure for his vampirism. When Janette had returned before, she had been mortal. She had explained that, when she had fallen in love with a mortal, he had let her take blood from him every time they made love. After time, she had become completely human again. Nat and Nicholas had tried this cure, but Nick was not able to control himself, and he took too much.  
  
"So, shouldn't I be dead?" she asked.  
  
"You were," he responded, then he pointed at Jasper. "But she brought you back."  
  
"But how is what I would like to know," LaCroix added. 

************** 

  
  
"I'm one of the last members of the Tremere clan," Jasper remarked, her voice so low that everyone had to strain to hear her.  
  
"The what?" Nick asked.  
  
"Believe it or not, there are secret clans of vampires," Janette continued for her. "Seven groups that not even the Enforcers know about."  
  
A shudder passed through the group at the mention of the vampire law keepers.  
  
"The Tremeres are possibly the most powerful of all the clans," she added, "but their numbers are small."  
  
"How does that explain her bringing back Natalie?" LaCroix questioned.  
  
"Member of the Tremere clan are vampire mages," Jasper's eyes were still locked on the floor. "Usually, our powers are limited to one aspect: healing, transformation, whatever. But our numbers are dwindling. For the fifty of us to survive, we all had to learn magick in each aspect."  
  
"Why are there so few of you?" Natalie pondered aloud.  
  
"There's war between the clans. We may be strong with magick, but we're not warriors," Jasper explained. "The other clans have hunted us for centuries." Even though she faced the floor, Nick could see her eyes flash yellow with rage when she mentioned the persecution of her kind.  
  
"Our clan leader was killed last week," she continued. Her voice actually rose when she said, "I was sent by my clan to find the bastard who did it and destroy him. He was last seen here in Toronto, and Janette said she could help me since she had connections."  
  
"We'll help too," volunteered Nick. "It's the least we could do since you saved Nat."  
  
Natalie and LaCroix nodded in agreement. It was obvious that the old vampire had a soft spot for the child before him.  
  
"How will you kill him though?" he asked. "You hardly seem bold enough to speak, neverless ambush and kill someone."  
  
In reply, Jasper stood up straight and waved both hands inward in a circular motion. A bright flash of crimson light, and where the timid child once stood, a black panther roared at the quartet.  
  
"Transformation."  
  
Janette liked to state the obvious.  
  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Nick needed a drink.  
  
This was all too much for him. As he walked over to the refrigerator, LaCroix joined him. He would apparently forget his exquisite taste in exchange for the comfort of a drink.  
  
But when LaCroix tasted his poured beverage, he grimaced. "My dear Nicholas, I've never understood how you can prefer cow to human." But the drink relaxed him, and he took another sip.  
  
There was another flash of brightness, and Jasper was back to normal. "Cow?" she inquired. "It's been a while since I've had anything that decent."  
  
LaCroix looked at her, wide-eyed. "You consider cow's blood decent?"  
  
"We've been running so long, we barely have time for rat. I was starting to feel like a carouche," she joked.  
  
Nick poured another glass and offered it to her. She drank it whole-heartedly.  
  
"Who exactly will we be looking for?" LaCroix questioned.  
  
"His name is Sorin," Jasper told them, her deep brown eyes fading again to feral yellow. "He's a member of the Galen clan."  


************** 

  
  
Across town, a figure slept beneath the CN Tower, hiding himself from the bright noon sun. A long sword clenched to his side, the man twitched with anticipation as he dreamed of his awaiting conquest. Soon it would be time.  


************** 

  
  
"The Galen is a warrior clan," Jasper explained as the rest of the group hung to every word. "While we have spent eras strengthening our magicks, they have trained in fighting and ambush tactics. It was they who have destroyed most of our clan."  
  
"The problem is that Galens hire familiars- humans that have the hope of being turned- to do their dirty work during the day. These mortals would find any other clan's hiding nest and either report its location to the Galen leader or destroy it himself. Once, before I was brought across, a single familiar killed 500 Tremeres by torching their home." Jasper paused for a moment.  
  
"No matter what we do, where we hide, the familiars are always able to find us. Some Tremeres have tried sleeping in a transformed state, like a mouse, but when they awaken, they are too drained of power to fight back when attacked. It's no use!" her voice raised in frustration. "They always find us!"  
  
As if on cue, the door was kicked open from outside, and the assailant started to fire a AK-47 at the surprised group.  
  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Nick pushed Nat over the couch and out of the line of fire. He had to protect her at all costs. There was no way he would lose her again. Then, fangs bared and eyes fiery orange, he turned on the gunman.  
  
Only to be stopped by a bullet to the shoulder. Though bullets usually go through him, this one hurt like hell. He'd felt this before now. These bullets were hollow-point and stuffed with garlic, leaving a vampire with the feeling of "a thousand scorpions stinging at one time," as Nick had once described it.  
  
A split second late, Nick was off again; this time trying to get behind the shooter. LaCroix beat him to it though and ripped the gun from the young man's hands, which took the trigger finger with it.  
  
Now the man stood bleeding with four vampires surrounding him. Defenseless, he stared into each pair of glowing eyes until his fear was so strong that even Natalie could sense it.  
  
"A familiar?" Nick asked.  
  
"One of Sorin's," was Jasper's answer.  
  
She stepped up to the mortal, who turned to face her. "Erik, I know he's here," she addressed him. "My question is where exactly."  
  
He turned away, not saying a word.  
  
"Where the hell is he!?" she screamed, scaring everyone in the room.  
  
Still, even in his terror, Erik kept his silence.  
  
Finally, she gave up, turned, and walked toward the couch.  
  
LaCroix, however, was still furious. He reached up at the mortal, snapped his head back by grabbing a chunk of hair, and sank his fangs into his neck, draining him for all he was worth.  
  
When he was done and the human was dead, Nick stepped forward to LaCroix. "Usually I despise you for killing people," he explained. "But I think he deserved that."  
  
"There may be hope for you yet," LaCroix jested, but Nick was not amused.  
  
Instead, he was more concerned for Jasper. She was sitting in the corner of the room and curled into a ball, sobbing. Nick had to remember that though Jasper was a vampire, she was still barely more than a teenager. Attacks like this had to be disturbing.  
  
LaCroix also felt sorry for her. While everyone stayed in their place, he walked over and sat down right next to the child. Before he could say a word, Jasper collapsed into his arms, crimson tears streaming down her face.  
  
LaCroix didn't know what to do. He looked to Nick for advice, but the younger vampire just shrugged. Finally, LaCroix' long-since-used paternal instincts kicked in, and he slowly wrapped his arms around her.  
  
She wept into his shoulder, and once every few moments LaCroix heard her barely choke out, "It's all my fault. I led him right here. I'm so sorry."  
  
LaCroix didn't move at any time. Soon, her crying slowed, and then stopped.  
  
"I'm sorry I lost it," she said as she stood up. "I was trained to be strong in these situations. It won't happen again."  
  
LaCroix also stirred off the floor and walked toward the still-open door.  
  
Everyone was completely silent.  


************** 

  
  
Back under the Tower, the dark figure started to awaken. Clutching the sword by his side, he prepared to move quickly. He sensed something was wrong, and he was eager to fix the damage. Just a couple more hours. 


	3. Antitrust

Nick's arm throbbed in pain. The wound caused by the bullet still had some garlic stuck in it, so it hadn't started to heal.  
  
Natalie suddenly noticed. "Nick! You're bleeding!"  
  
Everyone looked over at Nick.  
  
"It's just a scratch. It doesn't even hurt much," he lied and it was obvious.  
  
Jasper called him over to her. When he was close, she placed her right hand over his wound. The red glow appeared and both Jasper and Nick winced slightly at quick pain. The glow faded, and Nick's arm was completely healed.  
  
"Why does it hurt you?" Janette asked Jasper.  
  
"With healing spells, the caster shares the pain with the object of the spell," she explained. "The more damage to the person, the more pain transmitted."  
  
"That would explain why Natalie screamed," Nick mentioned. Jasper nodded to that.  
  
From the open door, LaCroix could tell that the sun was almost down. "This Sorin has quite upset me," he informed the group. "I look forward to ripping his head off his shoulders."  
  
No one disagreed with him.  
  
Suddenly, the phone rang and the answering machine started playing: "Hi. This is Nick Knight. I can't take your call now. Leave a message; don't take it personally."  
  
The machine beeped and the voice of Nick's boss, Captain Joe Reese, bellowed over the tape:  
  
"Knight, it's Reese. I know you're upset about Tracy, but we need you here tonight. The sun's not even down, and we've had 5 different homicides. Two were shot, two more burned, and one had a wooden pike through her chest."  
  
"Familiars," Jasper said, her voice low. "Sorin's looking for me."  
  
"We need you here, Nick," the voice repeated. "If you see Dr. Lambert, tell her that she's needed in her office." Click.  
  
"And he'll never know that I almost wasn't available tonight," Natalie muttered, and she grabbed her coat.  
  
Nick also went for his jacket, grabbing his badge, key, and gun as well. "We can work this from different angles," he told the group. "Natalie and I will take the professional side and try to find a pattern, see where he'll hit next. Jasper, since you know best about this guy Sorin, you go with LaCroix and Janette."  
  
For once, his master didn't argue with Nick for taking charge.  
  
Everyone got up and headed out: the cop and pathologist by his or her car and the remaining vampires by flying.  


************** 

  
  
The dark figure also started his pursuit. He knew that he was not going to be completely safe until he destroyed the hunter after him.  
  
  
Chapter 6  
  
As Nick walked into the precinct, he could tell that everyone was tense. Between Tracy's death and these recent homicides, all nerves were on edge. So Nick was not surprised when Reese burst out of his office, yelling, "Nick, where the hell were you?"  
  
"Slept late." Nick briefly wondered what would happen if he told Reese the truth. "I told Natalie that she was needed at the morgue."  
  
"Thank goodness," Captain sighed. "There's been 3 more since the sun went down. We needed to find this guy, Nick."  
  
"We're on it," Nick said under his breath. Then out loud, "Does he have any patterns?"  
  
Reese shook his head. "Completely random. We examined the bullets. This guy's filling hollow-points with garlic. He's shoving stakes through hearts. He's a psycho who's hunting 'vampires.'" Reese used sarcastic quotation marks, but Nick still cringed at the mention of the word.  
  
"He may be crazy, but he's still dangerous," Reese continued. "Before you go out to find this creep, you'll need help." A late twenties-early thirties man came forward. "This is Ryan Watkins. He'll work with you on this case."  
  
"Captain, I don't think..." Nick started.  
  
"I know you don't want a new partner this soon after Tracy," the captain interrupted, "but you'll need backup."  
  
"Okay, I'll give it a shot," Nick told him.  
  
"I'm counting on you two to catch this guy," Reese said and then he went back into his office, shutting his door behind him.  
  
Nick turned to Ryan. "We'll take my car."  


************** 

  
  
In the Cadillac, Ryan was talking a blue streak.  
  
"So, after the Academy in Boston, I moved to Austin, Texas, but the police force there was crap, so I moved to Tallahassee, Florida, but it was too hot, so now I'm here and I think..."  
  
"Could we focus more on the case please?" Nick asked.  
  
"Sure," Ryan agreed. "Can I ask you one question though? Why this car? I mean, you don't look like a Cadillac guy. Plus, the color. I mean, can you say bizarre?"  
  
Nick stopped him. "Look, while we're working together, don't criticize the car."  
  
"Alright, whatever," Ryan continued. "So, we're looking for a 'vampire hunter.' I guess we have until daylight to find him," he chucked.  
  
Nick rolled his eyes. It was going to be a long night.  


************** 

  
  
LaCroix, Janette and Jasper landed on the roof of the Raven.  
  
"You closed my club?" Janette questioned LaCroix angrily.  
  
"I was planning on moving on tonight," he remarked. "I did not figure I'd be playing detective."  
  
"Thank you both for helping," Jasper said. "It means a lot to me. There's a better chance of success now, since there's strength in numbers."  
  
"Not that much strength though," cried a voice from above.  
  
As the three vampires looked up, Jasper's eyes widened with fear, then set in hatred. "Sorin."  
  
Hovering above them was a tall, dark figure. His long brown hair blew wild with the wind, and his eyes pierced the dark with their gold glow. His muscles tensed as he reached for the sword at his side.  
  
"So, you're the one the Tremeres sent after me?" he laughed. "You're nothing more than a child."  
  
He looked down upon the young girl and traced her figure with his eyes. Her straight eclair hair hung full around her face and shone in the moonlight. Her eyes were a dark brown, now speckled with gold in her anger. A swarmy smile appeared on his face as he followed the curve of his body but vanished quickly when his eyes settled on the red glow starting to form around her hand.  
  
Jasper knew she had been caught, and she had to act fast. When she pointed her hand at Sorin, a crimson ball of fire shot from her hand at him. Sorin flew to the side just in time to dodge it. Then, he drew his sword from its sheath and dove toward the girl.  
  
LaCroix and Janette, who had been watching with wide eyes, knew now was their time to fight, and they took to the sky so to intercept Sorin.  
  
"No, don't!" Jasper cried, but it was too late. As the couple raced toward Sorin, the warrior swung his sword, cutting Janette across the upper arm. LaCroix was not so lucky, for Sorin's blade sliced him across the chest.  
  
The two fell back to the roof in pain, and Sorin stopped in mid-air.  
  
"This is pathetic," he growled at Jasper. "You're nothing close to a decent opponent. Against my better judgment, I'll give you until dawn to get out of Dodge, so to say. This is my town now, and I don't want you or any of your weakling friends around here." He pointed to the fallen LaCroix and Janette. "If you're still around after dawn, I'll kill you myself." With that, Sorin flew off, leaving the three behind.  


************** 

  
  
Nick was getting tired of listening to Ryan ramble. Instead, he drowned him out by letting his vampire senses wander. His sight focused on the individual heat patterns of the city, picking up reds and oranges of the people. He defined his hearing so he could hear everything, from individual conversations to the cry of a tomcat. He specifically listened for any sounds of a fight.  
  
"Are you listening to me?" Ryan's voice echoed in Nick's ears.  
  
Nick flinched and turned toward the annoying person now all of three inches away from his face.  
  
"Back...off." Nick demanded.  
  
And Ryan did.  
  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Jasper rushed over to LaCroix's side. Janette was already there, holding her arm where the sword had cut her.  
  
LaCroix's wound should not have been fatal to a vampire, but he was fading fast. He couldn't understand why until Jasper explained.  
  
"Sorin's sword is dangerous to anyone. He had the blade blessed by a priest, making it holy. Then, he killed the priest."  
  
With that, she placed her hands over his chest. "This is going to hurt," she prepared LaCroix and herself.  
  
As the red glow appeared, both of them screamed in pain.  


************** 

  
  
In his car across town, Nick heard the screams. Quickly jerking the wheel, he turned into an alley, heading cross-town. In the process, Ryan was slammed into the side of the interior. Nick smiled at that as he sped toward the sound.  


************** 

  
  
LaCroix wasn't perfect, but he was feeling better. He was amazed at how much Jasper's magick had helped.  
  
Janette was also feeling better. After Jasper had helped LaCroix, she had turned to Janette and helped her. The pain was now gone, and the stiffness was fading.  
  
Jasper, on the other hand, was too weak to move. Between the attack on Sorin and the healing of her friends, she was almost drained of all her power.  
  
"At least he gave us until dawn," she mentioned. "I don't think I'll be strong enough to move before that."  
  
"I can't fly yet," LaCroix added. "We'll have to walk back to the loft."  
  
"Nicola should be checking in soon," Janette said.  
  
Together, they all walked carefully down the fire escape and headed back to Nick's loft.  


************** 

  
  
Five minutes later, the Caddy pulled up next to the Raven, and Nick got out. After taking a quick look around, he went back into the car.  
  
"They must have left already," he said aloud.  
  
"Who must have left?" Ryan asked.  
  
Nick turned to Ryan Watkins. "Just people I use as sources." He paused for a minute then turned the car on. "I need to make a brief stop at my loft really quick."  
  
"Okay, whatever," Ryan said.  
  
So, Nick headed off to his loft.  


************** 

  
  
When Nick arrived, he and Ryan went up to the loft, only to find it empty.  
  
"They're not here," Nick mentioned.  
  
"Your sources know where you live?" Ryan inquired, but Nick ignored him.  
  
"They'll be here soon. We'll wait for Jasper and the rest to arrive."  
  
"Jasper? Is she one of your sources?" the mortal asked curiously.  
  
"Actually, she's a friend of a friend who needed a place to stay," Nick explained. "She's just a little girl. I hope she's okay."  
  
"Well, while we're waiting, can I have something to drink?" Ryan asked.  
  
"Sure, I'll get it."  
  
As Nick turned away from Ryan and toward the refrigerator, he didn't notice that Ryan had drawn a dagger from his coat until the mortal stabbed the blade right between Nick's shoulder blades. 


	4. Alliances

About 5 miles away from the loft, LaCroix, Janette and Jasper still walked. Though they were feeling stronger, they were still in no condition to fly.  
  
At that moment, a car drove up and paced beside them. The trio smiled when the window rolled down and Natalie leaned out.  
  
"Need a ride?"  
  
They all piled into the car and headed to the loft.  


************** 

  
  
"We should have known the Tremeres would start acquiring familiars," Ryan said to Nick, who was now lying on the floor. "My boss was right to put me on the police force. I did get the inside information."  
  
Ryan looked down at Nick and spat at him. "Master Sorin was right. All Tremeres are losers. Can't even pick out decent familiars to protect them." He kicked Nick in the side. Hard. Then, he turned to go, planning on leaving Nick for dead.  
  
That was when Nick couldn't play along anymore. "Who said I was a familiar?" he asked Watkins while rising from the floor. Before Ryan could fully turn to face him, Nick had moved behind him, grabbed him by the hair and pulled him into the kitchen. Then, he proceeded to slam Ryan's head into the wall.  
  
"I'm sick," Bam! "and tired," Bam! "of you people," Slam! "trying," Wham! "to kill me!" One last bash, and Nick threw the mortal clear across the room.  
  
When Ryan was finally able to get up, he found himself face-to-face with Nick, who had let his fangs drop and his eyes turn vibrant orange.  
  
"You're not a familiar!" Ryan gasped, trying to back away.  
  
"No shit, Sherlock," Nick mocked. "And you won't be one for long either."  
  
As Nick moved in for the kill--something he hadn't done in nearly a hundred years--he was surprised when the terrified mortal pulled out a hollow-point filled pistol from under his coat and aimed the gun at him.  
  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Just as Ryan was about to pull the trigger, the cavalry arrived. Janette was the first to burst through the door, with Jasper, LaCroix and Natalie following closely behind her. Janette grabbed the gun out of Ryan's hand and spun him around to face the group. Every vampire's face was contorted to reflect the demon inside.  
  
"Ryan Watkins," Jasper growled deep in her throat. "I should have known you'd be here. Sorin would never go anywhere without his lackey."  
  
"Master Sorin will have all of your guts for garters!" Ryan screamed, his panic finally setting in.  
  
"Not likely," Nick said, and he stepped forward, grabbed Ryan by the head and twisted it sharply, snapping his neck.  
  
Natalie turned away as Nick let Watkin's corpse slide from his hands. She knew he didn't enjoy killing people, but the look on his face now showed that he had found pleasure in this particular kill, and she worried about that.  
  
But her worry turned to fear when a crash sounded from above. She looked up in time to see a sinister man crash through the skylight and hover above them.  


************** 

  
  
"I had given you until dawn to leave, but I didn't account on you killing my favorite familiar."  
  
Nick knew by the way this figure acted that he had to be Sorin. Already Nick was filled with hatred for the vampire.  
  
"You lost your chance, Tremere." Sorin continued. "You will die now."  
  
Jasper summoned the last bit of energy she thought she had left and muttered a short incantation. A bright flash of red light, and she transformed into a panther again. Before Sorin could draw his sword, Jasper pounced, with claws extended, at his face. She connected, and they both tumbled to the floor.  
  
Sorin back-handed the panther, and Jasper roared with pain. He took this moment to crawl out from under her claws and draw his sword.  
  
Jasper changed back to normal. She couldn't stay in that form much longer.  
  
Sorin smiled his evil grin. "You're weak, child. Your leader was a pathetic fool and you're all losers."  
  
Jasper's eyes changed colors: from feral yellow to bright orange to vibrant red.  
  
"You're all goddamn fuckin' losers!" Sorin exclaimed.  
  
"Not..all..of us," Jasper snarled.  
  
Suddenly, everything went dark. The clouds covered the moon so it cast no light. Every light bulb burst; every candle blew out.  
  
A wind picked up, flowing into the loft through the broken skylight. A light breeze at first, it quickly gained strength.  
  
Natalie ran to Nick, who held her close. LaCroix and Janette watched as Jasper raised her hands upward to the sky.  
  
"Bela mayum, seste victa," she glared at Sorin, who was starting to look worried. The wind picked up speed and small peals of thunder rumbled overhead.  
  
"Crysta vore, sin poru niet." The wind was howling, and the thunder grew louder.  
  
"Seme desde quida, pele nor!" her voice raised. The thunder crashed, and the wind reached gale strength. Natalie had to cling to Nick to avoid being swept up in the gale.  
  
"Dante pesta, IGNAE!" Jasper screamed. With the last word, bright blood-red bolts of lightning shot from her eyes and hit Sorin. As he howled, similar lightning tore through the sky and struck him. With one last scream, Sorin exploded, leaving only a pile of dust. When he did, the wind dies down, thunder vanished, and the moon reappeared.  
  
Jasper turned to the group, eyes still glowing crimson. "It's done," she gasped, then she fell to the floor, unconscious.  
  
  
Epilogue  
  
When they finally woke Jasper up, her eyes were still blood-red. Try as she might, she couldn't change them back to normal brown. She figured it was just an effect of the spell and would fade back after time, but there was doubt in her voice.  
  
LaCroix promised to help get rid of Ryan Watkins' body. He decided to weigh the body and throw it into a river, and Natalie said she would write it up as a suicide when the authorities found him.  
  
When Nick called Reese to tell him of Watkin's "disappearance," his boss sounded less than pleased. Nick pondered what was going to happen when they found the body.  
  
Despite everyone's request, Jasper decided she could not stay in Toronto. After everyone had taken their eyes off her for one second, they turned back to find her gone. Where she had stood, a letter read:  
  
"Thank you everyone for helping me. You have no idea what it means to know you have friends that will help you through anything. You have given me new found courage and self esteem. I will try to return one of these days. Right now, I must teach the rest of my clan that we don't have to fear the Galen anymore. Until we meet again, I wish you well. Sincerely yours, Jasper DeWhite."  
  
After reading the note, LaCroix and Janette took the corpse and flew off. Natalie said good-day to Nick and went home to sleep. Nick walked to the window and opened the automatic blinds. He could smell the coming sunrise, which would be in about an hour. Nick closed the blinds again and headed upstairs. This 800 year old vampire would dream today, and they would not be nightmares either. 


End file.
